He [Jesus] entered again into a synagogue; and a man was there whose hand was withered. They were watching Him to see if He would heal him on the Sabbath, so that they might accuse Him. He said to the man with the withered hand, "Get up and come forward!" And He said to them, "Is it lawful to do good or to do harm on the Sabbath, to save a life or to kill?" But they kept silent. After looking around at them with anger, grieved at their hardness of heart, He said to the man, "Stretch out your hand." And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored. Mark 3:1-5 This historical account is not a parable but a literal moment of healing from Jesus. Jesus makes a compelling statement by restoring the withered hand: He wants to heal, both physically and in other less tangible areas of life. Today He still desires us to get up, come forward, and stretch out our hands.

Just as the crippled man obeyed Jesus and stretched out his hand, we need to stretch out the withered parts of our lives. Sometimes this involves making a correction and submitting to the Lord's discipline:

All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness. Therefore, strengthen the hands that are weak and the knees that are feeble, and make straight paths for your feet, so that the limb which is lame may not be put out of joint, but rather be healed. Hebrews 12:11-13 This is a spiritual analogy that parallels the physical healing of the crippled hand. The writer of Hebrews gives us an option: Continue in a withered manner, or submit to God and be strengthened and fruitful. We all need a healing touch in the areas of our lives where we are yielding to our flesh and needing to adjust.

The Jesus that healed the withered hand also wants every area of your life to line up with His will. If He is dealing with you, submit to it; get lined up and make no provision for the flesh (Romans 13:14). As you do, watch how God will restore you!

Trust God.
Pastor Jeff







© 2008 St. Louis Family Church. All rights reserved. No part of this article may be reprinted or distributed in any form without prior written permission of St. Louis Family Church. Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture references are from the New American Standard Bible (NASB) Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation.